AUTHOR=Wei Xiao , Meng Biao , Li Yan , Peng Hong , Zhao Xiangna 

TITLE=Sensitive and rapid detection of Culex pipiens and Aedes albopictus

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Insect Science

VOLUME=3

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/insect-science/articles/10.3389/finsc.2023.1015695

DOI=10.3389/finsc.2023.1015695

ISSN=2673-8600

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Background</title><p><italic>Culex pipiens</italic> and <italic>Aedes albopictus</italic> are closely related to human life, and transmit a variety of viruses, causing serious harm to human health. Cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene has been selected as a marker gene for studying phylogeny and molecular evolution of species and is also an effective molecular marker for studying the evolutionary mechanism and systematic reconstruction of diptera insects.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>A loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method for the rapid and sensitive detection of <italic>Cx. pipiens</italic> and <italic>Ae. albopictus</italic> were first described in this study. The experimental results were verified by real-time PCR.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>Our study showed the lower limit of sample concentration that can be detected by LAMP method is 0.5 pg/μl within 20 min for <italic>Cx. pipiens</italic>, and 1 pg/μl within 20 min for <italic>Ae. albopictus</italic>, which were more sensitive than PCR method. Validation tests with field samples showed LAMP method had good specificity and sensitivity and could identify the target species quickly and accurately.</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusion</title><p>The LAMP method developed in this study allowed the rapid and sensitive detection of <italic>Cx. pipiens</italic> and <italic>Ae. albopictus</italic>, which will be expected to be used for mass screening in batches of the field.</p></sec>